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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. net — for catching
  4. pop — to visit
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. suit — clothes
  13. net — after costs
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a match
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pop — music
  21. suit — to fit
  22. kick — in football
  23. net — in sport
  24. pop — soda

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com